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September 06, 2013

Confused.com,
the leading price comparison site has launched a new logo and brand identity, created by brand experts Thompson Brand Partners. The pioneers of price
comparison in the UK, Confused.com are experts in saving their customers money.
Over the years they have become known for Cara, their singing icon who featured
in TV advertising, and for recent Nectar points campaigns. However, in a
crowded market place, Confused.com made the decision to reposition and rebrand.

A rebrand campaign was planned to reposition the company in the minds of consumers,
which featured BRIAN the Robot who is on a mission to save the UK money. The
campaign was launched in June 2013 during the high profile Britain’s Got Talent
live shows, alongside a new brand and website. Thompson Brand Partners created
the new logo and brand identity that worked to compliment BRIAN the Robot
(created by Publicis London).The brief was to create a modern logo and identity, and one that better
reflects how technologically advanced the business and BRIAN are. It also needed
to be distinctive and identifiable to help the brand to stand out. Thompson’s
brand solution began by removing the Cara character from the logo, to give
flexibility to the identity. The new logo features a thought bubble to hold ‘.com’,
referencing the expertise and thinking of these comparison experts. A set of
digital textures were created, along with a new, fresh colour palette and a
substantial set of bespoke photo-real images to bring the website to life. The brand has been
rolled-out across the website, corporate materials and the marketing campaign.Joby Russell, Marketing Director at Confused.com, said of the rebrand, ‘The new
branding has given us the image we needed in order to reposition ourselves as experts
and market leaders. We were first to market with comparison technology and we
continue to innovate. The identity that Thompson created is modern and slick to
reflect that, and we’re confident that it will grow with us too.’ Ian Thompson,
Creative Director at Thompson Brand Partners, says, ‘Our brief was

to create something a little bit more grown-up. Confused.com has been around
for over ten years and was the first of the comparison sites, so we wanted to
bring the brand to a much more grown-up position. We used the thought bubble to
make a positive out of the negative of confusion. It’s not about a person
scratching their head any more.’

September 05, 2013

The last few months have been extra busy
for new starters – lots of new faces from different backgrounds with a great
range of expertise which has added to our already thriving and talented team…

Jimmy
Smith - Designer

Craving home comforts (Yorkshire
puddings and pints of John Smith) Jimmy joined us after making his way back up
North spending the past 4 years in London working for SEA Design. As a designer, Jimmy’s work is clear
and considered, always with an idea in mind. When he’s not in the studio,
you’ll find him glued to the seat of his beloved racing bike in head-to-toe
Lycra. Now that’s dedication!

Paul
McGuigan – Senior Account Manager

Paul (our resident karate kid)
joined Thompson Brand Partners following a career in publishing at Waterstones
and agencies The Union and Brass. He has integrated into our brilliant accounts
team seamlessly, winning our hearts with his secret supply of cookies! Outside
of the office you can find him fighting crime… well… training to fight crime,
in his mixed martial arts classes.

Hattie
Crook – Office Manager

After initially joining our team on
a freelance basis in March, Hattie has now become a permanent addition.
Previously working for leading own fashion brand AQ/AQ and studying Fashion at Leeds
College of Art, Hattie has brought her experience from the fast paced fashion
industry (running around like a mad woman) into everyday practice. Hattie hosts
stylish lifestyle blog Peppermint Place and spends her free time exploring with
her camera… and petting her three cats (she insists
she’s not a crazy cat lady – we’re not so sure).

Ash
Spurr – Designer

With a colourful background in the
creative industry, Ash has worked for the likes of The Designers Republic,
Corporation Pop and Golden. His interests include architecture, listening to
new electronic music (cue obscure name) and learning new digital skills,
including working towards completing a Design Research Masters at Manchester
Metropolitan University.

Andy
Sherborne – Junior Designer

Andy is driven (obsessed) by design,
spending much of his free time exploring how to change people’s perceptions of
what things could and should look like… pushing the boundaries is his thing. He
joined us after graduating from Leeds Metropolitan University, with his
experimental, ideas-led approach (so many ideas too little time), influenced by
geometric shapes and minimalism. Andy also recently discovered his talent for
ping-pong with super human reactions to moving objects. You heard it here
first.

November 16, 2011

Some of us are eating carbs like we've never heard of Atkins, some stretching like Black Swan auditionees and others (like me) are just trembling in their trainers...

Why? Well, this Sunday come rain or shine the most dedicated members of the Thompson team will be taking part in the annual Age UK 10k, The Abbey Dash.

We're running in aid of a fantastic cause, the NET Patient Foundation - a charity close to our hearts. The charity is the only one in the UK to offer advice and support to sufferers and families of those with NETs (neuroendocrine tumours), a relatively uncommon group of cancers. Symptoms are often confused with more common complaints such as IBS, meaning NETs are frequently diagnosed incorrectly or missed completely.

The money you help us raise will enable the NET Patient Foundation to continue their amazing work offering up to date support and advice, raising funds for vital research projects and increasing awareness of this little known illness. Read more here: NET Patient Foundation

So please dig deep for Sarah, Guy, Jonny, myself and the NET Patient Foundation and help us to hit our target of £1,000. And if we do, we promise to take share lots of pictures of Jonny's goosepimply legs.

November 10, 2011

Thompson Brand Partners has completed the rename and rebrand of the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy (NCYPE) to Young Epilepsy.

Young Epilepsy is the only UK-wide charity exclusively supporting the 112,000 children and young people under 25 years of age with epilepsy and their families. Young Epilepsy is a leading provider of specialist education and health services to those most severely affected by epilepsy and related conditions.

Thompson started working with NCYPE in late 2010 after winning a 4-way credentials pitch. Since then the project has included an extensive research exercise prior to the decision to change the name to Young Epilepsy, followed by the development of a new brand identity.

The new identity was officially launched on 1 November 2011 and Thompson has been working with the Young Epilepsy marketing team to develop a range of applications including signage, new web templates, banners, corporate brochure and newsletters, as well as a set of brand guidelines to help ensure consistency.

The idea behind the new identity was to create a logo that changes from time to time, because it includes elements that have been drawn by the students from St Piers School and the FE College, which Young Epilepsy owns and manages in Lingfield, Surrey. As well as creating an identity that is credible for a national charity, Thompson also delivered a practical solution that is not too expensive to implement. Stars were chosen, as the child is always the star, and a project was set in the school and college for the children to create the artwork for the stars.

Nick Ramshaw, Managing Director of Thompson Brand Partners has enjoyed working with Young Epilepsy throughout and is excited about the effect the new branding will have on the charity: “The organisation began to change from a location-based health and education provider in Surrey, to a national epilepsy charity supporting children and young people around 3 years ago. What we have been able to do is help them decide on a more appropriate name and then use branding to communicate this re-position effectively and imaginatively.”

Young Epilepsy Chief Executive David Ford said: “Thompson has been an excellent partner throughout the process, adding rigour and inclusion when we were considering the name and fantastic creativity when developing the new identity. Everyone here loves the new identity, understands what our new brand stands for and can’t wait to stand behind it.”

August 17, 2011

We’ve been in the City Centre now for a few weeks and our ‘New’ Stables project is well underway – enough for us all to have a quick peak to check progress. This led me to start thinking about if I prefer the centre of town or if I want to go back to Roundhay.

There are pro’s and con’s for everything:

Leeds is…

…fantastic for a drink straight from work

…full of restaurants and cool café’s for lunch

…the shoppers dream for retail therapy

…ideal for attending meetings with city clients

Leeds City Centre

But then again…

…Roundhay has some pretty good pubs and you don’t need to worry about car parking

…Roundhay has some great deli’s that are half the cost

…Roundhay doesn’t really have any decent clothes shops but lets be honest, who has time at lunch to fit in any retail therapy

…Roundhay might not be within walking distance of our city clients but it’s not too far away and who wants sore feet anyway

Roundhay Park

I’m not sure what the TBP team think but I definitely prefer Roundhay and can’t wait to move back into our new offices.

July 18, 2011

9 different colours available for iPhone, 4 for iPad, available from a shocking £30 each in your local Apple store.

Now if you ask me, the Pantone mugs were pseudo-ironic cool, i.e. if I got one in my stocking, I'd secretly be pleased and insist on having my Earl Grey in nothing but. That chap on Come Dine With Me lining his kitchen with a spectrum on green mugs because he thought they were the height of designer cool? Get off my telly.

November 19, 2010

It all started when I suggested we do something for Children in Need. Bearing in mind it was 4pm yesterday, my idea was simple enough. ‘Why don’t we come into work tomorrow in our PJ’s?’ I wasn’t thinking big, just simple, straightforward fun in the office that would also raise some money to help disadvantaged children – something I’m always keen to do.

Then it ballooned!!!

More people got involved in the conversation and bigger, bolder ideas were put in the pot. Eventually we decided, at the eleventh hour, that fancy dress it was.

After much stress (at 10pm last night) I eventually sorted out my fancy dress. I got into character at home this morning and drove into work (getting a few winks and hoots from the bin men in Oakwood on the way).

I was impressed. Everyone had made an effort, even at such short notice.

Adam came as a cowboy.

Helen came as a cowgirl.

Jonny came as a skydiver.

Nick came as a woman (absolutely hilarious!)

Ian came as a sailor

Sarah came in the spotty theme.

Rachel came as a pirate.

As did Guy

And yes, I’m Wonder Woman.

Such a lot of fun but then I often think being spontaneous is more fun. And, as well as all the laughs, we raised a great amount for Children in Need.